Alphacube

ABSTRACT

The Alphacube invention is a collection of modular shapes that form cubes, each letter of the alphabet and that are a twisty cube puzzle that can be solved for each letter of the alphabet. The pieces can both build structures and communicate verbal messages. They are a toy, puzzle, and an educational tool to teach literacy in a fun and engaging way. The pieces can also be assembled into artistic shapes or into basic shapes that describe animals and simple things like a small hole on a flat surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The Alphacube (“Invention”) is a collection of discreet shapes that, when arranged into a square with nine segments, write every letter in the alphabet; when the arranged into an equilateral six-sided twisty cube puzzle with 27 movable block pieces, that puzzle that can be solved for each letter of the alphabet.

Description of Related Art

Void Cube uses a different mechanism to create a twisty cube puzzle with an empty center.

Illuminated modular bars have formed the basis for writing the alphabet in twee dimensions.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Invention empowers restaurants and businesses that need signs to have modular blocks that can be assembled into a desired message. As the message changes, the blocks can be changed.

Children can learn how to both build houses and other structures, while also learning how to write letters, spell words and write phrases.

The Invention is a twisty cube puzzle that can be used in competitions to not only solve 3D puzzles but to also solve verbal puzzles at the same time, like riddles, and to write answers to competition questions with the modular shapes that make letters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a view from a bottom corner of a twisty cube with 26 movable cube parts that can also spell every letter of the alphabet.

FIG. 1B is a view of FIG. 1A from a different angle.

FIG. 1C is a view of FIG. 1A from a different angle.

FIG. 1D is a view of FIG. 1A from a different angle.

FIG. 1E is a view of FIG. 1A from a different angle.

FIG. 1F is a view of FIG. 1A from a different angle.

FIG. 1G is a view of FIG. 1A from a different angle.

FIG. 1H is a view of FIG. 1A from a different angle.

FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, FIG. 1C. FIG. 1D, FIG. 1E, FIG. 1F, FIG. 1G and FIG. 1H are different views of an artistic solution to a twisty cube with 26 movable cube parts that can also spell every letter of the alphabet.

FIG. 2 is a profile view of each letter of the alphabet once it is written by arranging the modular pieces of the Invention appropriately.

FIG. 3A is a sphere with holes onto which outside pieces can snap and pivot.

FIG. 3B is a profile view of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C is a view from a top side of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a top profile view of FIG. 4C.

FIG. 4B is a bottom profile view of FIG. 4C.

FIG. 4C is a part of a sphere that snaps into the openings in FIG. 3A as is shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 4D is a view from a bottom corner of FIG. 4C.

FIG. 5, at element 1, is a hook formed when FIG. 4 is snapped into FIG. 3. Additional parts of the Invention can be affixed to that hook.

FIG. 6 shows multiple FIG. 4A pieces snapped into FIG. 3A with additional parts hooked onto FIG. 4A.

FIG. 7A shows the view when all pieces snapped or hooked together in the manner outlined above are extended to form a cube around the sphere that is FIG. 3A.

FIG. 7B is a view of FIG. 7A from a different angle.

FIG. 8A is a profile view from the inner side of FIG. 8B.

FIG. 8B is a part of a sphere that hooks into the hook shown in FIG. 5 to form part of the outer smooth spherical surface shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8C is a profile view from the side of FIG. 8B,

FIG. 9A shows FIG. 8A resting on FIG. 3A in a location where FIG. 4A can be inserted into the hole at the top of FIG. 3A to snap onto FIG. 3A and hold FIG. 8A onto FIG. 3A with the hook shown in FIG. 5 at element 1.

FIG. 9B at element 2 is FIG. 4A snapped into the sphere that is FIG. 3A to hold FIG. 8A, which is identified as element 3.

FIG. 10A is a view of the inside hook side of the piece that appears on FIG. 6 to block the shine on the sphere that is FIG. 3 in that FIG. 6. It hooks onto FIG. 8C under the outcrop of material at element 3 in FIG. 9B. FIGS. 10B and C are different views of the same object.

FIG. 10B is a view of FIG. 10A from the outside.

FIG. 10C is a profile view from the side of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11 is a closeup view of the three pieces (FIGS. 4A, 8A and 10A) that fit onto the sphere that is FIG. 3A and rotate or pivot on its surface. They are positioned in the manner they would be when snapped into FIG. 3A but FIG. 3A is now shown for clarity. The area identified as element 4A is where FIG. 10E hooks under the outcrop of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 12A is FIG. 10A extended from a spherical outer surface to fill out a cube.

FIG. 12B is another view of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 12C is another view of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 13 is an inside view of FIG. 7 without the sphere that is FIG. 3 for clarity.

FIGS. 14A 39A are mostly modular sub-parts of each letter of the alphabet that have been carved out of the filled-out cubes shown in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 14A is a solid center piece.

FIG. 14B is a view from the side of FIG. 14A.

FIG. 15A is a solid middle side piece that is also an empty side piece. Empty areas correspond to the white areas and positive areas correspond to the black areas in the fonts shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 15B is a side view of FIG. 15A.

FIG. 16A is the middle right part of the letter “B,” which also serves as the bottom center of letter “W” and the top center of the letter “M.” FIG. 16A is also a full black piece on the other outer side.

FIG. 16B is a view from a side of FIG. 16A.

FIG. 17A is a black piece on one side and a triangular piece on the other.

FIG. 17B is a view from the back of FIG. 17A.

FIG. 18A is a view of FIG. 18B from a different angle.

FIG. 18B is a full black piece on one outer side and can form e middle side part of the letter “W.”

FIG. 19A is another view of FIG. 19B.

FIG. 19B is the bottom right part of “Q,” a full black part and the end of “E” or “W.”

FIG. 20A is the bottom part of the letter “R,” a full black part, and a triangular part.

FIG. 20B is another view of FIG. 20A.

FIG. 21A is also the bottom right part of the letter “Q,” a full black side, and a full empty side.

FIG. 21B is another view of FIG. 21A,

FIG. 22A is a full black side, an partial side that can form the ends of “E” or “W” and a triangular side.

FIG. 22B is another view of FIG. 22A.

FIG. 23A is views of how the preceding FIG. 14A-22B fit.

FIG. 23B is a different view of FIG. 23A.

FIG. 23C is a view from the bottom of FIG. 23A.

FIG. 23D is a profile view from the bottom of FIG. 23A.

FIG. 24A-39B follow the same logic as that of FIG. 14A-22A for the remainder of the cube to assemble it so it forms the cube shown in FIG. 1A that solves for each letter of the alphabet in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 24A is a middle piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 24B is a different view of FIG. 24A,

FIG. 25A is a middle piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 25B is a different view of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 26A is a middle piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 26B is a different view of FIG. 26A,

FIG. 27A is a middle piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 27B is a different view of FIG. 27A.

FIG. 28A is a corner piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 28B is a different view of FIG. 28A,

FIG. 29A is a corner piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 29B is a different view of FIG. 29A.

FIG. 30A is a corner view of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 30B is a different view of FIG. 30A.

FIG. 31A is a corner piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 31B is a different view of FIG. 31A.

FIG. 32A is a center piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 32B is a different view of FIG. 32A.

FIG. 33A is a middle piece of an edge of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 33B is a different view of FIG. 33A,

FIG. 33C is a middle piece of an edge of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 33D is a different view of FIG. 33C.

FIG. 34A is a middle piece of an edge of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 34B is a different view of FIG. 34A,

FIG. 35A is a middle edge piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 35B is a different view of FIG. 35A.

FIG. 36A is a corner piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 36B is a different view of FIG. 36A,

FIG. 37A is a corner piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 37B is a different view of FIG. 37A.

FIG. 38A is a corner piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 38B is a different view of FIG. 38A,

FIG. 39A is a corner piece of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 39B is a different view of FIG. 39A.

The ends of FIG. 40-FIG. 60 contain the shapes that are found in FIG. 2 so that FIGS. 40 through 60 are modular blocks that assemble into those letters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The shapes at FIG. 14A-39B are part of a twisty puzzle that can be solved for each letter of the alphabet to form the fonts shown in FIG. 2.

The shapes at FIGS. 40 through 60 can be arranged into the entire alphabet shown in FIG. 2.

The shapes at FIGS. 40 through 60 can be stacked to form a wall that writes letters, which in turn spell words and sentences. The shapes are modular pieces that can be used interchangeably to make letters, write words, and build walls at the same time.

The ends of FIG. 40 through FIG. 60 contain the shapes that are found in FIG. 2 so that FIGS. 40 through 60 are modular blocks that assemble into those letters. The black is represented by positive space and white is recessed space. FIG. 40 is a fully black piece for example and FIG. 41 is a fully white piece. FIG. 42 is a combination of white and black that shows the middle right part of the letter “B.” FIGS. 40 through 60 can be assembled into cubes that have the same height, width and depth of the earlier cubes. None of the cubes have a specific length, width or depth. What is important is the ratios of their measurements. For example, when nine sticks in FIGS. 40 through 60 are assembled to form a letter in FIG. 2 the nine assembled pieces will also form a cube that is generally equilateral. This means the general dimensions of the assembled cube will be that it has the same length, depth and width. This means it can be a stable building block.

FIGS. 40 through 60 can assemble into vertical walls that also contain verbal messages. They can also be assembled into walkways or horizontal locations to also form messages. FIGS. 40 through 60 can be used together. One letter can be written with one approach and another can be written with another approach.

The letters can be used as toys for children to learn and play, to be the address on a home, the name of a family in a house, the name of a restaurant, and many, many more purposes. 

1. A building system comprising twenty-seven shapes that occupy the space of an equilateral cube when assembled with three shapes on each side (length, depth and height) to build objects while also having the capability of assembling into the shape of every letter of the alphabet on one side of the 3×3×3 cube space that is occupied with the twenty-seven shapes; where the shapes, after they are assembled into letters, can be stacked into constructions that both build walls, floors and sidewalks and that also spell out words and sentences to communicate meaning; constructions identified above that have the dimensions to be actual walls and sidewalks or that are smaller to be toys, puzzles, and game pieces.
 2. A puzzle comprising twenty-six shapes that affix onto a sphere with cylindrical openings on six sides that correspond to the sides of the equilateral cube space that the puzzle occupies so pieces on the middle of the sides can rotate on the cylinder and the pieces on the corners can rotate by being affixed to the middle pieces where the pieces can be rotated in a manner that spells every letter of the alphabet; where the shapes of the twenty-six shapes allow for them to rotate on a sphere with cylindrical openings on six sides that correspond to the sides of the equilateral cube space that the puzzle occupies so pieces can rotate like a Rubik's Cube (R) where the shapes allow for the cube to be solved to form the shape of each of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet on one side of the cube.
 3. A modular block system comprising nineteen beams that have an equilateral square profile on whose ends there are shapes that allow the beams to be assembled horizontally on flat surfaces and also assemble vertically into walls that also spell out letters, words and pictures; constructions identified above that have the dimensions to be actual walls and sidewalks or that are smaller to be toys, puzzles and game pieces. 